Search

Gaming

Kyle wonders what the future holds for game consoles like the PlayStation. Will there be a new version like a PS5 or will it just keep with incremental improvements like the PlayStation Pro? Leo says that the PS4 has a very powerful processor, and console game systems have a life span of about 10 years before they move to the next platform update. So Leo would imagine we'll see updates during that time, and we hear there will be serious revisions this year. We'll probably see the end of optical media in favor of downloads.

Brennon wants to learn how to program. Leo says learning how to write computer code will give him a deeper understanding on how computers work. This will take him from being merely a consumer, to being a maker. Minecraft can be a fun way to learn programming. He can even do it with a Raspberry Pi for $35. It comes with the software used to write programs and he can do it inside of Minecraft.

Rick is wondering which virtual reality headset to buy, or if it would be best to wait until the next generation. Leo says that VR is very convincing and creates an amazing immersive illusion that you're somewhere else. The Oculus Rift has a demo where you're standing on the edge of a skyscraper that's very realistic. There are some shortcomings, however. You can't pick up things and touch things unless you use a game or hand controller. The negative on the Sony Playstation VR is that the move controllers weren't designed with VR, so they can lag a bit.

Paul is looking to buy a PC for his grandson who needs it for school and who's into Minecraft. Can a Chromebook work for that? Leo says that a Chromebook is great for students, and he can use many apps online. But since he needs to use specific applications and is into gaming, he'll need a PC. Leo likes Dell and Lenovo. Getting one with a touch screen is a good idea, but that's going to get pricey. Black Friday sales are still going on, though. Acer is a good low cost, high quality laptop. He should Avoid HP.

Marion's sister is heavily into gaming and wants to hardwire her PC to the network to get better gaming performance. Leo says that hardwiring is always going to be a bit faster than Wi-Fi because of wireless congestion. Leo says ideally, the best way to do this is to lay conduit from room to room and snake CAT6 ethernet all over the house. That requires opening the wall and is usually best when building a home. She also may need a switcher to handle the traffic around the house.

Sean's wife is into gaming and he wants to get her a good PC that will last a good, long time. Leo says that computer power isn't improving at the rate it used to and as a result, people, especially gamers, don't have to upgrade as often. His budget is $1500. Leo says that's a good budget. He should check out the Hardware Leaderboard over at PC Perspective for some great ideas.

Caesar is into gaming. He wants to create a YouTube channel to make "Let's Play" videos. Leo says that Twitch is a better option and he can save it to YouTube after he plays. He'll want to record the game play with an image of him in a box in the corner. Leo says he'll want to use OBS for that, and he'll also need a camera.

Rick is wondering which virtual reality headset to buy, or if it would be best to wait until the next generation. Leo says that VR is very convincing and creates an amazing immersive illusion that you're somewhere else. The Oculus Rift has a demo where you're standing on the edge of a skyscraper that's very realistic. There are some shortcomings, however. You can't pick up things and touch things unless you use a game or hand controller. The negative on the Sony Playstation VR is that the move controllers weren't designed with VR, so they can lag a bit.

Robert wants to be able to listen to a TV broadcast while playing video games. Leo says that Robert will need to mix it. The Xbox should have separate audio output, though, and if the TIVO has an audio out, he can route that to a separate channel and then switch it from his AV receiver.

The Sony PlayStation VR comes out this week. If you have a PlayStation 4, all you'll need is the headset, Move controllers, and camera. It'll be the easiest way yet to get into virtual reality gaming. Leo has tried all of the virtual reality headsets, and so far he hasn't found any to be exciting for very long. He does think that as companies evolve the technology, we may see something miraculous years down the road.